


Home (the Long Way Around)

by TerraYoung



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: (Nora), (Rip didn’t die - he was stranded in time), (as of season 3 finale), Canon Compliant, F/M, POV Second Person, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 17:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15053903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraYoung/pseuds/TerraYoung
Summary: Prompt from Texts From Last Night: (480): He unofficially told me he deleted his tinder because of me. I think that’s a pretty romantic gesture in 2018.Or the one where it takes Nora a while to realize she’s in love with Ray, mostly due to being possessed by a demon for over twenty years. Meanwhile Ray tries to woo her the best he can – with Star Wars marathons and refusing to stop believing there’s goodness in everyone.





	Home (the Long Way Around)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [plinys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plinys/gifts).



> More loosely inspired by the prompt than directly. Thank you for the prompt! This was a lot of fun to write.

It starts with a movie reference, of all things. You'd run into Ray for roughly the fifth time since you… “got out” of jail, told him a story about how you'd tricked a guy into believing that the sandwich you were eating wasn't the one you had just stolen from him, and gotten a "So you pulled a "these are not the droids you're looking for" on him?" in response. 

At your blank look, Ray says, "Y'know, that line of Obi-Wan's in A New Hope? Where he and Luke are -"

"I'm gonna stop you right there -" you begin, holding up a hand- "and tell you I have no idea what an 'Obi-Wan' or a 'New Hope' are. Let alone the droids."

Ray's eyes widen, making him look like you'd told him you didn't know the sky was blue. "You've never seen Star Wars?!"

"What's a 'Star Wars'?" You ask, not yet knowing what havoc those four words would wreak. 

"It's a series of movies that -" Ray cuts himself off. "Y'know what? It'd be easier to just show you. Are you free tonight? I mean, you don't  _have_  to come if you don't  _want_  to, but it'd be nice if -" 

"I've got nothing on my docket but digesting lunch and fleeing the Time Bureau." Now it's Ray's turn to look blankly ahead. "That means yes."

"Then it's a date!" He cheers. For some reason that causes a flush to spread across your face. "We'll hafta sneak you onboard - don't think most of the team will be happy to see you, unfortunately. Not yet, at least."

You lift up the time stone. "Or I could just use this."

"...Yeah, or that." Ray's embarrassment quickly fades in favor of another blinding smile. "See you in my room in about an hour?"

"See you then."

 

XxXx

 

You're there ten minutes early, just to see if it will get a rise out of Ray, but of course it doesn't. He just smiles - is his mouth even  _capable_  of frowning? - and says something about how you being early means the marathon can start sooner. 

Yes,  _marathon_. Apparently there's  _nine_  Star Wars movies out "now" - the "original trilogy", "prequel trilogy", two movies of the "sequel trilogy", and one "bonus movie" that serves as a lead-in to the originals. And that's not including the two different tv series that you can tell Ray's dying to show you. 

He falls asleep at some point during the first movie. The one that came out  _after_  the sixth despite its plot happening  _earlier_. None of it makes any sense, but you find yourself hooked nevertheless. 

You cover Ray up with a weighted blanket - black with a sprinkling of stars - and feel something warm settle in your stomach. It's weird but not unpleasant, so you push any thoughts about it to the side for now. Instead, you use the time stone and go find somewhere to sleep for the night. 

 

XxXx

 

The next time you see Ray is two weeks for you and who knows how long for him. His smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. 

"So, um, how've you been?" Ray asks.

"Fine," you say. "You?"

"Good!" Ray tries to inject some enthusiasm into the word and fails by a long shot. 

You roll your eyes. "You know you're a horrible liar, right?"

"...So everyone keeps telling me."

"Then you know  _I_  know things aren't "good". I'm bad at this emotional crap, but I'm pretty sure talking about it should help." You shrug awkwardly. "At least that's what happens in the books I've read."

Ray sighs. "It's nothing really, it's just - why'd you leave? The night of the marathon, I mean. I know I fell asleep, but you didn't hafta go. Or at least leave without a note. It's stupid but -" he bites his lip for a second- "I know we're not much of anything, but I was worried about you."

"I - I didn't want to overstay my welcome," you answer after a brief silence. "And I never thought you'd worry. I've tried to kill you and your friends multiple times - I don't even know why you're spending time with me and not turning me over to the Time Bureau."

"Because that wasn't really you." Ray's melancholy is being overtaken by determination, and something loosens in your stomach. "You were possessed by Mallus -"

"Malice."

"- Whatever. You were possessed for decades, which couldn't have done wonders for your mental state or your morals. You deserve a chance to figure out who you are without him." Ray smiles softly. "And I'd place good money on you being a good person underneath it all."

"You'd  _lose_  good money on that bet," you mutter. 

"Going back to the marathon," Ray says, so brightly you're not sure if he didn't hear you or doesn't care. "Would you like to keep going tonight? We should be able to finish the prequels at the very least, maybe even start the sequel series."

The corners of your mouth twitch. "Promise not to fall asleep on me again?"

"It happens  _one_  time!" Ray jokes. He takes your hand and your stomach's suddenly filled with knots again. "Mind giving me a lift back?"

"If I  _have_  to..."

 

XxXx

 

You make it through "The Force Awakens" before  _you_  have to call it quits. Ray opens his mouth to crack a joke, but you use your magic to fling a pillow at him first. 

"Um, I don't know if there's a rule against time traveling while tired," Ray begins, "but d'you want to stay the night? You can take my bed - I'll sleep in the lab and say I was up too late working on stuff."

"And would anyone believe you?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. 

Ray sputters for a bit. 

You chuckle. "Let's just share your bed."

"Share it?" A red flush creeps across Ray's cheeks for some reason. Maybe he's embarrassed? But why?

"Yeah. You won't let me leave without me sleeping or using your bed, and there's no way someone won't find out the truth if you sleep somewhere else," you explain. "It makes perfect sense." 

Ray mumbles something you can't understand before running a hand through his hair. "O-Okay. I'll go get ready and see if Gideon can fabricate some pajamas for you." His eyebrows lift. "Oh, and Gideon?"

"Yes, Dr. Palmer?" Gideon asks.

"If you could keep this a secret from everyone else, I'd really appreciate it."

The AI makes a sound you'd swear was a sigh. "Unless Ms. Darhk proves a threat to this ship or its crew, I won't alert anyone to her presence."

"She won't be, but I understand!" Ray says. He turns to you. "I'll be back in a jiff!"

And he's gone before you can ask him who even says "in a jiff" anymore.

 

XxXx

 

A nightmare wakes you up halfway through the night. You have no idea how long it takes before you calm down, but it's not until then that you notice Ray's wrapped around you like he's an octopus or something. Of  _course_  he'd be a cuddler. You disentangle yourself while trying not to disturb him, then make your way to the kitchen. Hopefully you can get a glass of water and get back to Ray's room without being noticed. 

...No such luck. Rory's sitting at one of the tables, absent-mindedly stabbing a salad with a ridiculous amount of dressing on it. 

He raises his eyebrows once he catches sight of you. "So Haircut finally had the balls to ask you out. Pretty owes me twenty bucks."

"What're you talking about?" You ask. You spend about a minute searching for a cup before Rory answers.

"Ray's Haircut, Heywood's Pretty." He stabs another piece of lettuce. "Ray must've asked you out an' Heywood owes me money 'cause we bet on when he'd finally do it."

You fill the cup, throw in some ice, and take a sip. "Asked me out? You mean, like a date or something?"

"Somethin' like that." Rory wiggles his eyebrows. 

"Yeah, right," you say. You snort, then roll your eyes. "Like  _he'd_  ever have feelings for  _me_. He's the goodiest goody-two shoes in existence and I was possessed by a demon and hurt this team. Repeatedly."

Rory shrugs. "An' I'm a supervillain who's killed a shit-ton of people. Haircut doesn't care what you've done, just what you  _can_  do. An' if you've got a semi-working con-science... consciousness... _conscience_." 

"Regardless," you continue, "he just invited me over to watch Star Wars with him, it got late, and he's letting me use his bed."

"While he's still in it?" Rory grins when you blush. "An' you say nothing's goin' on." His face goes from teasing to serious in an instant. "Jus' so you know - if anything happens an' you break his heart, I'll burn you to ashes."

You blink. "And with that delightful mental image I'm going to try to get back to sleep." You linger at the door. "If you wouldn't mind not telling anyone I was here..."

"Don't tell Haircut you saw me eating a salad an' we'll call it even."

"Works for me."

 

XxXx

 

"Um, Gideon?" You ask about a week later. Ray's run to the kitchen to get some popcorn for the last set of Star Wars movies. "I know you don't like me - which is understandable - but can I ask you a question?"

"It depends on what it is," she answers. "Anything too personal or potentially harmful to anyone is off limits."

You take a deep breath. "Is asking if Rory was right about Ray really being in lo- really having feelings for me -  _romantic_  feelings - too personal?"

"Yes, Ms. Darhk. I  _can_  however tell you that he is quite fond of you. Anything in addition to that would be up to Dr. Palmer to tell you about." 

" _If_  there's anything in addition," you mutter. Louder, you add, "Thank you, Gideon." You flop back against Ray's couch. "What are the signs of romantic feelings, anyway?"

Asking  _that_  grants you a laundry list of things that sound both bizarrely clinical and disturbingly familiar at the same time. There are enough of the latter that you start to think that regardless of how Ray feels, _you_  have a crush on  _him_. You shake the thought away. Being possessed by Mallus means two things - you don't deserve to date anyone, especially Ray, and even if you did, you'd have no clue what you were doing. It would be an unmitigated disaster. 

 

XxXx

 

Which  _of course_  means that the next time you run into Ray you have to pretend to be dating him. The mission he and his team are on is going horribly wrong -  _big_  surprise there - and to provide an excuse as to why he's hiding in an empty room, he claims the two of you wanted to sneak away. Ray wraps an arm around your waist, you kiss him on the cheek, and the security guard is fooled. So fooled, in fact, that they offer to treat you to dinner to make up for disturbing you. 

And Ray accepts. 

The pacified guard  _finally_  leaves the two of you alone, bidding you goodnight. 

Ray starts to tell you that you're off the hook but is cut off by someone via his comm. Apparently Captain Lance, much as she doesn't trust you, wants you and Ray to go on that date. The owner of the restaurant has something the team needs, and blah blah blah. You're too busy panicking about the date to pay any real attention to what's going on. 

It's only a dinner with Ray. You've shared a bed with him before - and you've been consulting a lot of romantic movies for advice - so, surely you can handle  _this_? 

 

XxXx

 

"Well," Ray says, clasping his hands together, "that went well, right?"

You glare at him. "I threatened our waiter twice, you accidentally set the table on fire, and when your team came in to intervene, they started a  _fight_. I'm pretty sure Captain Lance killed someone with a breadstick."

"She wouldn't - Okay, maybe she would." Ray shrugs. "But we got what we needed and fixed the aberration." He blushes, then ducks his head. "Plus, I got to go on a date with you. Makes everything else worth it."

"It what?" You ask, coming to a standstill. It takes Ray a few seconds to realize you're not still walking with him. "You remember who I am, right?"

Ray smiles. "A smart, beautiful, amazing woman who's powerful enough to take on several people at once?"

"I -" you shake your head, trying to clear the warmth coming from his words. "No. I'm the daughter of a man who killed several people and has killed several herself, someone who was possessed by a demon for most of her life, someone's who's hurt you and your team multiple times, and someone who can never make up for what she's done."

"That's who you  _were_ ," Ray insists. "You're not that woman anymore. And like I've said before: You did those things because of Mallus's and Damien's influences."

"But I still  _did_  them." 

Ray steps closer to you. "You're not anymore. Lack of demon possession aside,  _wanting_  to make up for those things makes all the difference." He spreads out his arm. "Look at the Legends - over the years, we've been made up of several criminals and/or people who've done pretty terrible things. And now we're helping people. I mean, Mick was a  _supervillain_  who killed people and set others' things on fire! If he can start down the road to redemption, so can you." Ray comes so close you can feel his breath on your face and  _beams_. "You can do it. I  _know_  you can."

The conversation crawls to an awkward stop as you both realize just how close you are. Your eyes briefly flick down to Ray's mouth. You're suddenly struck with the thought of how much you'd like your first kiss to be with him.

Ray licks his lips, drawing your gaze back to them, and then leans even closer. You let your eyes fall shut...

Then there's a burst of noise that causes you to jerk away from each other. You curse under your breath as Ray replies to someone over his comm. After what feels like forever, he turns back to you. 

"Sorry about that - Sara was wondering what happened to me," Ray explains. He rubs the back of his neck. "I told her I got sidetracked but should be there soon."

"And since it's  _technically_  not a lie..." you joke. 

"Hey, I can lie!" Ray's defensive expression lasts for only a second before it fades. "...Sort of. If it's indirect or sort of true."

You laugh. "It's not  _really_  a lie, then."

"Eh, semantics."

"See you around, then?"

"Unless..." Ray bites his lip. "Unless you want to come with me?"

You just stare back at him.

"You were a real help today - and like I said, you're not the only person I know who's done morally iffy stuff - so the team _should_ be okay with you joining." Ray smiles hopefully. "It'd be nice to see you more than once in a blue moon." 

"Me? On a team of do-gooders?" You ask. "I'm flattered, Ray, but I wouldn't fit in." You notice his disappointed expression and add, "Not yet, anyway. Talk to your team about it and see how the next team-up goes?"

Ray shakes his head, though he's smiling again. "Oh, alright. But is that a promise to help us out a second time?"

"Third, if you count Malice," you correct, "but yes."

"Good!" Ray leans in close again and presses a kiss to your cheek. You can feel heat spread across your face. "See you soon?"

All you can do is nod. Ray beams before turning and walking away. You raise a hand to touch where he kissed you. 

You're  _doomed_. 

 

XxXx

 

It's roughly a month for you before you see Ray again, and him kissing you on the cheek has replayed in your brain nearly daily since it happened. You're fairly sure you do have romantic feelings for Ray - as sure as you can be without a proper description of what they feel like. Now the real puzzle is figuring out if he feels the same.

You bump into Ray - literally - the moment the thought pops into your head. 

"Oh! I'm so -" Ray smiles brightly as soon as he sees you- "sorry. Nora! It's so good to see you!" And with no warning, he pulls you into a hug. Your arms flail awkwardly for a moment before finally getting with the program. It lasts longer than you think a hug normally lasts, but eventually Ray releases you. 

"How long's it been?" Ray asks.

"About a month. You?"

Ray makes a face. "Two. I've really missed you."

Warmth floods through you at his words. With only four of them he's managed to make your week.

"Want to catch up over some gelato?" Ray offers you his hand. "I heard about a really great place that's not too far from here. In fact, that's where I was headed before I bumped into you. Sorry about that again, btw."

You blink. "Sure. I'd love -"

Your sentence is cut off by a reptilian-sounding roar, then a burst of flame rising above the horizon. 

"Oh great," Ray sighs, "another dragon."

" _Another_  dragon?" You echo. 

"Yeah, ever since we beat Mallus there's been a lot of magical creatures popping up throughout time. Constantine said it's 'cause -"

Now it's  _Ray's_  turn to be cut off by the dragon. 

"We should probably take care of that first," you say. " _Then_  you can give me the full story."

Ray grins. "That works."

 

XxXx

 

Halfway through the battle, Ray gets hurt. The dragon swept its tail at him while you'd been trying to protect people from its fiery breath. You look around at Ray's cry of pain just in time to see him go flying into a nearby building and crash into the ground. 

You see red. 

With one quick, though extremely draining, spell, you're able to twist the dragon's neck. The thought that Ray will be disappointed in you for killing it flits through your brain. You have enough time to think that you can handle his disappointment if it means he's alive before unconscious claims you. 

 

XxXx

 

You wake up handcuffed to a bed in the Waverider's medbay. Ray's in the bed next to you, his chest still rising and falling. It's hard for you to imagine what you would've done if you'd lost him. You shake off the memories of Ray hitting the building and start examining the handcuff. Captain Lance waltzes in before you can get too far. 

"Least one of you is awake," she says. Lance then drags a chair over to sit close to you. 

You push yourself to a sitting position. "Here to bring me back to the Bureau? I imagine they're not too happy about my escape."

"Nah, not really." Lance shakes her head. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because mister "I believe in in everyone" over there-" she gestures to Ray- "has been gushing about you and your path to the light side for months now. He's been tight-lipped - well, tight-lipped for  _Ray_  - about just  _how_  he knows this, but he's adamant you're a much better person now." Lance purses her lips. "And given you've helped us on around three occasions now, I'm willing to consider the possibility."

You sigh. "No offense, Captain, but if you're not here to turn me over, why  _are_  you here? I'd really appreciate you getting to the point."

"I am," she says. "And I'm here to give you an offer: Join the Legends, and I can promise you that no one from the Bureau will ever be able to throw you in jail again." At your confused look, Lance adds, "We got immunity a ways back for giving them Rip. I'm pretty sure I can convince Av- the director that it applies to  _all_  Legends - past and future." 

"But why? Like I keep telling Ray, I've hurt your team many times over, got possessed by an actual demon for  _decades_... And in your case specifically, resurrected the man who killed your sister."

"I was an assassin. Mick used to be a supervillain and Zari's a hacker. We used to have another supervillain on our team. None of us are perfect... not even Ray, if you can believe it." Lance pauses for a moment. "Can't say I'll ever forgive you for the resurrection thing, but I get it - he was your dad. It can be hard not to help family." She holds out a hand. "So what d'you say?"

You look over at Ray for a moment before turning back to Lance. "I'm in, Captain."

"Call me Sara." She uses the handshake to squeeze your hand tightly. "But if you betray the team or break Ray's heart, it's back to the Bureau prison the first chance I get. Got it?" 

You simply nod.

"Good." Sara drops your hand, undoes the handcuff, gets up, and puts the chair back. "I'm gonna go tell the team. See you later."

She exits the room, leaving you alone with Ray. 

 

XxXx

 

Since you have nowhere else to go, really, you wait in the medbay for Ray to wake up. The thought that a kiss might do so - like in those fairytales Dad used to read to you - flits through your mind, but you dismiss it immediately. Magic exists, but a "One True Love" doesn't. And even if it did, you certainly wouldn't be Ray's. Not because you don't want to be, but because you don't deserve to be. 

You shake your head and start to pace. It takes until you've covered the room's length five times for Ray to begin stirring. You drag over the chair Sara had used to his bedside.

Ray's eyes flutter open and he smiles at you. You can't help but smile back. 

"Y'okay?" Ray asks. His voice is hoarse. 

You snort. " _You're_  the one who got gravely injured, and you're asking if  _I'm_  okay?" Ray nods. "I'm fine. Bit battered and bruised, but nothing I can't handle. How are you feeling?"

"Physically? Like I got run over by a really angry truck." Ray grunts. "But emotionally? Happy and relieved that you're okay. I was really worried about you."

"Don't be."

Ray winces as he forces himself into a sitting position. "Too bad. 'Cause as long as I'm around, I'm gonna be concerned about you. And there's nothing you can do about it." 

He sticks his tongue out playfully and you mock-slap his arm. You both laugh. 

"But, seriously," Ray continues, "I care about you. And no amount of self-doubt is going to change my mind."

"Doesn't make sense to me, but I won't fight you on it," you say. "And... I care about you, too."

Ray turns to face you and cups your cheek in his hand. "Is this okay?" 

You nod.

"And this?" He asks as he leans in closer and gently pulls you in. 

You nod again. 

Ray's eyes flick down to your lips, then he smiles. You hold your breath as he gets closer and closer. His lips are just about to brush against yours when the medbay door opens. 

You and Ray jerk away from each other. 

"Hey," Heywood begins, "is Ray awake..." He trails off, looking back and forth between you and Ray. "Oh. Oh, I'm  _so_  sorry. Pretend this-" Heywood gestures to himself- "never happened." As he leaves, you can hear him mutter, "Guess I owe Mick that twenty dollars."

Ray rubs the back of his neck, blushing heavily. "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's okay," you say. Before things can get too awkward, you add, "Sara offered me a place on the team."

"Did you accept?" Ray asks, twisting the bedsheets between his fingers. 

"Seemed better than going back to jail, so yeah. I did."

Ray actually  _bounces_  on the bed a couple times before framing your face with his hands and pulling you into a brief kiss. You're too stunned to react, and Ray's good mood is gone by the time he pulls back. 

"...Sorry," he says. "Guess I was reading things wrong earlier."

You kiss him as softly as you're capable of. "You didn't. You just surprised me, that's all."

"Ah." Ray beams. Then he kisses you again. "So it's okay if I keep doing this?"

"It is, yeah. Just -"

"Just what?"

"Nothing." You shake your head. "Forget I said anything."

Ray's giving you a concerned look. "You can tell me anything, Nora. I won't judge you."

"If you say so," you mutter. Louder, you add, "I've never been in a relationship before. Or been kissed before. Or had..." you cough awkwardly; Ray seems to understand anyways. "So, if we could take things slow..."

"That's totally okay." Ray presses a kiss to your forehead. "And if you decide you don't want to have sex, that's okay too - I'm okay either way. I'm ace, but not sex-repulsed, so I'm fine with or without."

"'Ace'?" You ask. 

"Asexual," Ray answers. "Means I don't experience sexual attraction. Some aces are grossed out by sex - sex-repulsed, some like it, some are neutral like me, and so on. A lot of people feel differently. And that's not even taking into account the fact that asexuality is a spectrum..." You must be frowning in confusion, given that he starts trailing off once he looks back at you. "I can explain it more later. If you want."

You shrug. "Sure. But maybe we can find me a place to stay? I don't want to share your room forever - not yet, at least."

"Gideon? Am I clear to leave?"

"Yes, Dr. Palmer," Gideon says. "I recommend you take it easy for a few days, but you don't need to do so in the medbay."

"Good!" Ray cheers. 

He gingerly swings his legs around to the side of the bed. You get up and move the chair so it's out of his way. Ray winces slightly when he stands, but still throws his arms out in a "ta-da" gesture. You stifle a snicker.

Ray nods to the door. "After you."

"No, you first," you insist. "So I can catch you if you fall."

"But I've already fallen," Ray says earnestly. 

You raise an eyebrow.

"For you."

A flush spreads over your cheeks, so you roll your eyes to try and offset it. Given Ray's bright smile, you doubt you've succeeded. 

"I mean, I've already deleted both my tinder  _and_  upswipes accounts," Ray jokes as you exit the room together, "so that's gotta count for something, right?"

"Depends." You shrug. "Is doing that considered romantic in 2018? Because I'm out of the loop - chronologically and romantically speaking."

Ray considers it for a moment. "I don't know, actually. Huh. We could ask Gideon about it."

"No, it's okay."

The two of you walk in silence for a while before Ray reaches out a hand. You stare at it, then slowly slide your hand into his. 

"So, you've got a couple of rooms to choose from," Ray says. "There's Rip's old room given he's been staying in Star City ever since he got back and then there are two other free ones. There's one other unused one, but that belonged to Mick's late husband. We're letting him make the call on if/when someone else can use it."

"Is one of them by your room?" You ask. "It would make it easier to keep whatever this-" you gesture between yourself and Ray- "is a secret from your team."

"...You want to keep it a secret?" Ray's voice is quieter than you would've expected.

"Want to? Not particularly." You shrug. "But until your team warms up to me it might be wise, considering one threatened to kill me and another throw me in Time Bureau jail if I break your heart." 

Ray's shoulders relax; you hadn't noticed he'd drawn them up. "Oh. Fair enough. Can we talk about it more later, though?"

You nod. 

"Thanks! And if you don't mind being across the hall from Nate - the guy who burst in on us earlier if you don't remember his name - there is one next door to mine."

"That should be okay," you reply. "I don't exactly have anything to unpack, so to should be an easy move."

Ray gently squeezes your hand. "Well, we can always borrow the jump ship to go buy you some furniture and decorations if you want."

"Borrow or "borrow"?" You drawl, using air quotes on the last word.

" _Actually_  borrow." Ray playfully bumps his shoulder against yours. "Legends don't steal." He frowns. "From each other." Another frown. "On occasions like this?"

You snort. "Stop before you hurt yourself, okay?"

Ray beams. "Okay." He kisses you. "Now let's go check out that room!"


End file.
